Tuesday, 25 June 2013

ABC Wednesday, X for XXXX Bitter

An Australian without beer? Impossible. The bottle has four X's. I asked an Australian what it meant and he said it is just a particular brand. But... This is what Wikipedia says:

XXXX (pronounced fourex) is a brand of Australian beerbrewed in Milton, Brisbane by Queensland brewers, Castlemaine Perkins. It enjoys wide popularity in the state of Queensland, where it is commonly found on-tap in pubs and bars.The XXXX brand was first introduced in 1924 and is a throwback to the
long standing tradition of using Xs to indicate the strength of an ale.
The brand name also built upon XXX Sparkling Ale introduced in 1878.
The brand is used on the XXXX Bitter, XXXX Gold, XXXX Light Bitter (Lager), XXXX DL (Diet Lager) and Sovereign (Lager).We thank Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank
Roger too for the weekly job to find ten bloggers for each of the ABC Team members to visit
and to read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo
in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with X.

Oh it's-a lonesome away from your kindred and all
By the campfire at night we'll hear the wild dingoes call
But there's-a nothing so lonesome, morbid or drear
Than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer

Now the publican's anxious for the quota to come
And there's a far away look on the face of the bum
The maid's gone all cranky and the cook's acting queer
Oh what a terrible place is a pub with no beer

Then the stockman rides up with his dry dusty throat
He breasts up to the bar and pulls a wad from his coat
But the smile on his face quickly turns to a sneer
As the barman says sadly the pub's got no beer

Then the swaggie comes in smothered in dust and flies
He throws down his roll and rubs the sweat from his eyes
But when he is told, he says what's this I hear
I've trudged fifty flamin' miles to a pub with no beer

Now there's a dog on the v'randa, for his master he waits
But the boss is inside drinking wine with his mates
He hurries for cover and he cringes in fear
It's no place for a dog 'round a pub with no beer

And old Billy the blacksmith, the first time in his life
Why he's gone home cold sober to his darling wife
He walks in the kitchen, she says you're early Bill dear
But then he breaks down and tells her the pub's got no beer

Oh it's hard to believe that there's customers still
But the money's still tinkling in the old ancient till
The wine buffs are happy and I know they're sincere
When they say they don't care if the pub's got no beer

So it's-a lonesome away from your kindred and all
By the campfire at night we'll hear the wild dingoes call.
But there's-a nothing so lonesome, morbid or drear
Than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer

Yikes we don't want a pub with no beer. Funny. As the adverts say "Australian wouldn't give a xxxx for anything else". Castlemaine produce some amusing adverts playing on Australian stereotypes for the UK.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

Our World Tuesday

ABC Wednesday

Weekend Reflections

About Me

I was born in Rotterdam in December, 1933, raised in Indonesia on the Isle of Java. During the war I was a prisoner of a Japanese concentration camp for women. After the war my parents, sisters and I returned to the Netherlands. I became a teacher, married, got three children and five grandchildren. One daughter lives in Australia, where I regularly visit her. My husband died in 1999 and has not seen our youngest grandchildren.

En himmel full av stjerner

A heaven full of starsBlue seas as far as you can seeA world where flowers growCan you ask for anything more?We shall live togetherEvery sister and every brotherSmall children of the rainbowAnd a blossoming world.